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魏晋 Wei-Jin · 诗 Poem

饮酒·其九

Drinking Wine, No. 9

陶渊明

Tao Yuanming

田园Pastoral 言志Expressing Ambition

清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开。
问子为谁欤？
田父有好怀。
壶浆远见候，疑我与时乖。
褴缕茅檐下，未足为高栖。
一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥。
深感父老言，禀气寡所谐。
纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷。
且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回。

At dawn I hear someone knocking at the gate; I put on my coat backwards and go to open it myself.
I ask who it is — sir, it is a farmer with kind feelings.
He brings wine from a distance to wait for me, and thinks I have gone against the times.
But my ragged coat under the thatched eaves is not a place fit for lofty dwelling.
All the world prizes agreement; sir, I pray you, wallow in the mud with them.
I am deeply moved by the old man's words; my nature is one that agrees with few.
To slacken the rein is indeed learnable, but to go against myself — how could that not be a delusion?
Let us enjoy this drink together; my carriage will not turn back.

Listen

Meaning

A farmer knocks at dawn and urges Tao Yuanming to give up his withdrawn life and take office with the rest of the world: the age values conformity, so why not wallow in the mud with it? The poet is touched by the old man's kindness but answers that his nature agrees with few, that yielding to others may be learned while acting against oneself is a delusion; and he ends by sharing the drink and declaring that his course cannot be turned back.

清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开。问子为谁欤？田父有好怀。壶浆远见候，疑我与时乖。褴缕茅檐下，未足为高栖。一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥。深感父老言，禀气寡所谐。纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷。且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] The poem is a scene: a farmer calls with wine and urges conformity; the poet thanks him, defends his own refusal, and closes with a drink and a decision. [Structure] The first six lines are the farmer's advice, the last the poet's answer — the shape of a poem that argues by dialogue. [Language] Plain and almost conversational, with a living detail in 'putting on my coat backwards' that tells more than any description. [Technique] The poem keeps its argument cool: the poet accepts the kind feeling and refuses the argument, and resolves with one flat line, 'my carriage will not turn back'. What makes it strong is that the refusal is not agitated — the warmth of the visit survives the disagreement.

【白话串讲】陶渊明写《饮酒·其九》：“清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开”——田父劝他：“一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥”——随波逐流吧。他说：“深感父老言，禀气寡所谐”——“纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷”——他说违背本心才是迷途——他坚守自己。【意象与手法】此诗写归隐，以坚持写归隐，是陶渊明的名篇。前六句写田父劝仕：「清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开。问子为谁欤？田父有好怀。壶浆远见候，疑我与时乖」写清晨闻叩门、倒裳往自开、田父有好怀、疑我与时乖——写尽田父的劝仕；后十句写坚持归隐：「褴缕茅檐下，未足为高栖。一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥。深感父老言，禀气寡所谐。纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷。且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回」写一世皆尚同、愿君汩其泥、纡辔诚可学、吾驾不可回——写尽归隐的坚持。全诗以坚持写归隐，写尽田父的劝仕与归隐的坚持，是陶渊明的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写归隐，以坚持写归隐，是陶渊明的名篇。此诗为陶渊明《饮酒》组诗之九，写田父劝仕而陶渊明坚持归隐。陶渊明归隐后，有田父来访，以「一世皆尚同」相劝，望其同流合污、出仕为官；陶渊明感其好意而婉拒，坚持归隐。此诗写田父劝仕：清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开——写清晨闻叩门、倒裳往自开，写尽迎客的仓促；问子为谁欤？田父有好怀——写问子为谁欤、田父有好怀，写尽田父的好意；壶浆远见候，疑我与时乖——写壶浆远见候、疑我与时乖，写尽田父的劝解；褴缕茅檐下，未足为高栖——写褴缕茅檐下、未足为高栖，写尽田父的婉劝；一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥——写一世皆尚同、愿君汩其泥，写尽田父的劝仕；深感父老言，禀气寡所谐——写深感父老言、禀气寡所谐，写尽陶渊明的自解；纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷——写纡辔诚可学、违己讵非迷，写尽陶渊明的坚守；且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回——写且共欢此饮、吾驾不可回，写尽归隐的坚持。全诗以坚持写归隐——那「愿君汩其泥」写尽田父的劝仕，「吾驾不可回」写尽归隐的坚持，写尽田父的劝仕与归隐的坚持，是理解陶渊明归隐志向的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥」写田父的劝仕；「纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷」写陶渊明的坚守；以及全诗以坚持写归隐、以对话写志向的手法。

Background

Tao Yuanming (c. 365–427) was a recluse and farmer who refused office and lived on his fields; this poem is No. 9 of the group 'Drinking Wine' and records a visit from a farmer. The old man advises him, in the manner of the age, to go with the stream and take office; the poet thanks him for the kindness and declines. The poem is much praised for its plainness and for the way it states a decision without noise, and it belongs with 'Drinking Wine, No. 5' ('I pick chrysanthemums under the eastern fence'), which is calm, and with the tradition of writing about holding one's course in a muddy world.

此诗写归隐，以坚持写归隐，是陶渊明的名篇。陶渊明（约365—427），一名潜，字元亮，号五柳先生，浔阳柴桑（今江西九江）人，东晋诗人，被誉为「隐逸诗人之宗」。此诗为陶渊明《饮酒》组诗之九，写田父劝仕而陶渊明坚持归隐。陶渊明归隐后，有田父来访，以「一世皆尚同」相劝，望其同流合污、出仕为官；陶渊明感其好意而婉拒，坚持归隐。此诗写田父劝仕：「清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开」写清晨闻叩门、倒裳往自开——写尽迎客的仓促（清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开）；「问子为谁欤？田父有好怀」写问子为谁欤、田父有好怀——写尽田父的好意（问子为谁欤，田父有好怀）；「一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥」写一世皆尚同、愿君汩其泥——写尽田父的劝仕（一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥）；「纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷」写纡辔诚可学、违己讵非迷——写尽陶渊明的坚守（纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷）；「且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回」写且共欢此饮、吾驾不可回——写尽归隐的坚持（且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回）。全诗以坚持写归隐，写尽田父的劝仕与归隐的坚持，是理解陶渊明归隐志向的重要篇章。

Art

Four techniques are worth noting: plain description of the welcome — 'putting on my coat backwards' gives the haste and the carelessness of the man who never dressed for company; dialogue for the advice — 'all the world prizes agreement' comes through the farmer's mouth, so the pressure is heard and not merely reported; argument for the resolve — 'to slacken the rein is indeed learnable, but to go against myself — how could that not be a delusion' separates the outward accommodation from the inward betrayal; and plain statement at the end — 'my carriage will not turn back' refuses to argue further. The poem is built as advice and refusall: the farmer's six lines first, the poet's answer after, which is the shape of a poem of resolve. It is good at the small detail — the coat put on backwards shows the host's sincerity — and good at the closing turn, which turns the disagreement back into a shared drink, so the refusal is made without hardness.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以白描写迎客。「倒裳往自开」以白描写迎客——那「倒裳」写尽衣裳倒穿的仓促，以白描写尽迎客的急迫。其二，以对话写劝仕。「一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥」以对话写劝仕——那「尚同」「汩其泥」写尽田父的劝言，以对话写尽田父的劝仕。其三，以议论写坚守。「违己讵非迷」以议论写坚守——那「违己」「讵非迷」写尽违己之辩，以议论写尽陶渊明的坚守。其四，以直抒写坚持。「吾驾不可回」以直抒写坚持——那「不可回」写尽归驾的不可回，以直抒写尽归隐的坚持。此外，此诗前六句写田父的劝仕，后十句写归隐的坚持，由劝及守，正是咏志诗「先劝后守」的写法。四重手法，使此诗以坚持写归隐，写尽田父的劝仕与归隐的坚持，是陶渊明的代表作。此诗还善于以「倒裳往自开」的细节写迎客之诚——那「倒裳」写衣冠不整而急往开门，正是以细节写其不拘形迹、以诚待人的本色，也暗见陶渊明之真。又善以「且共欢此饮」的转折收束全篇——田父之劝不可回，而以「共饮」化解，正是「道不同不相为谋」却仍以酒为欢的旷达，使拒仕而不伤情，见其温厚。

Allusions

The poem's language belongs to the tradition of reclusion and resolve. 'Farmer' gives the poem its plain visitor; 'putting on the coat backwards' is a detail of readiness, and in the tradition of welcome it is the figure of one who is not formal. 'Wine from a distance' and 'kind feelings' are the village's ordinary hospitality. 'Wallow in the mud' (the 'gu' of 'wallow in its mud') comes from the 'Fisherman' of the 'Chu Ci', where the fisherman tells Qu Yuan 'the world is muddy — why not wallow in the mud and raise the wave?' — and the poet borrows the words of the farmer's advice from the mouth of the offerer. 'Praise agreement' carries the ' Shang Tong ' of Mozi, where the world praises agreement with others. 'Slacken the rein' carries the image of turning back, as in Qu Yuan's 'I turn my carriage to return to the road'. 'My nature agrees with few' is the poet's own statement of temperament, and 'my carriage will not turn back' closes the circle with the same image of the carriage. The poem borrows these and turns them, so that the inherited words carry a new decision.

此诗的用语深植于归隐与坚持的传统。「田父」令人想到「田父」写农夫好意的意象——也令人想到「田父有好怀」的意象；「倒裳」令人想到「倒裳」写衣裳倒穿的意象——也令人想到「倒屣相迎」的意象；「壶浆」令人想到「壶浆」写酒浆的意象——也令人想到「箪食壶浆」的意象；「汩其泥」令人想到「汩其泥」用《楚辞·渔父》之典——屈原「世人皆浊，何不淈其泥而扬其波」，也令人想到「举世皆浊我独清」的意象；「尚同」令人想到「尚同」写同俗的意象——《墨子》有《尚同》篇，也令人想到「一世皆尚同」的意象；「纡辔」令人想到「纡辔」写回车改道之典——《楚辞》「回朕车以复路兮」，也令人想到「迷途知返」的意象；「禀气」令人想到「禀气」写天性的意象——也令人想到「性本爱丘山」（陶渊明）的意象。全诗化用田父、壶浆、汩其泥、纡辔、禀气的意象典故，以坚持写归隐，正是陶渊明「平淡自然」而善用典、承归隐传统写坚持的本领。「汩其泥」出自《楚辞·渔父》——渔父劝屈原「世人皆浊，何不淈其泥而扬其波」，陶渊明借田父之口重提此语，正见其与屈原「举世皆浊我独清」的守志相承。「纡辔」出自《离骚》「回朕车以复路兮」——屈原以回车写迷途知返，陶渊明反用之：纡辔改道诚然可学，但若违背己志便是迷失，正见其化用前人而翻出新意。

Commentary

This has long been considered a masterwork of Tao Yuanming's poems on his ambition, and the representative piece of the 'Drinking Wine' group. Later judges said of it that it writes reclusion by persisting in it, firm and unshakeable; modern readers single out the line 'to go against myself — how could that not be a delusion' as the poem's famous line. Its particular worth is that it says in a sixteen-line poem both the pressure to conform and the reason for refusing it, and does so without anger: the poet is grateful, declines, and shares the drink. Together with 'Drinking Wine, No. 5' ('the heart is far, so the place is remote') the two are the classic pair — one calm, one firm — and with the 'Fisherman' of the 'Chu Ci' they show the tradition of holding one's ground in a muddy age. For a modern reader it is a window onto Tao Yuanming's resolve, and a classic of Chinese poetry on keeping one's purpose.

此诗历来被推为陶渊明咏志诗的名篇，也是《饮酒》组诗的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以坚持写归隐，笃定不移」；近人更指出「纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷」写陶渊明的坚守，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以十六句的五言古诗写尽田父的劝仕与归隐的坚持——那清晨，那叩门，那倒裳，那田父，那好怀，那壶浆，那褴缕，那茅檐，那尚同，那汩其泥，那父老言，那禀气，那纡辔，那违己，那此饮，那不可回，都写尽了陶渊明笔下的田父来访；那「吾驾不可回」更以直抒写尽归隐的坚持。此诗与陶渊明《饮酒·其五》（「采菊东篱下」）同为饮酒名篇，一写「心远地自偏」的悠然（其五），一写「吾驾不可回」的坚守（其九）；又与《楚辞·渔父》「举世皆浊我独清」的守志传统一脉相承，可见中国诗写归隐坚持的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解陶渊明归隐志向的窗口，也是中国诗写守志的经典——那不可回的吾驾，穿越千年，仍在诉说着归隐的坚持。

Prosody

Form Poem · five-character ancient style诗·五言古诗

Rhyme Ancient style with rhymes on even lines — 'open', 'kind feelings', 'gone against the times', 'lofty dwelling', 'mud', 'agrees with few', 'delusion' and 'not turn back' — in the level tones of the Shihui and Jiujia rhyme, the sound old and plain, in keeping with the poetry of reclusion.古体诗，偶句押韵（开、怀、乖、栖、泥、谐、迷、回，上平十灰/九佳），音节古淡

Tone pattern Five-character ancient style with level rhymes on alternate lines; the sound old and colourless, in keeping with the plainness of the subject. Read the farmer's advice in the plainest voice and the refusal in a firm one, and leave the last line to linger.此诗为五言古诗，押平声韵，音节古淡，正合归隐的古淡。

Reading note This is a five-character ancient poem of sixteen lines, rhyming on the even lines in the level tone, with an old and colourless sound that matches the plainness of the subject. The first half presents the advice, the second the refusal, and the rhyme closes each half in turn — 'open it myself' with the door, 'gone against the times' with the charge, and so on. When reading, the farmer's lines should have the plainest voice, since they carry no intellect; the poet's answer should be firm but not loud; and the final line, 'my carriage will not turn back', should be left to hang, because the whole poem's weight falls there. This is Tao Yuanming's 'plain and natural' manner: no ornament anywhere, and the decision at the end carrying everything.此诗为五言古诗，十六句——「清晨闻叩门，倒裳往自开。问子为谁欤？田父有好怀。壶浆远见候，疑我与时乖。褴缕茅檐下，未足为高栖。一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥。深感父老言，禀气寡所谐。纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷。且共欢此饮，吾驾不可回」，偶句押韵（开、怀、乖、栖、泥、谐、迷、回），音节古淡。全诗以坚持写归隐：前六句写田父的劝仕（清晨闻叩门、一世皆尚同），后十句写归隐的坚持（深感父老言、吾驾不可回）。十六句长篇，前写劝仕，后写坚守，以「吾驾不可回」写尽归隐的坚持，正见陶渊明「平淡自然」的本色。诵读此诗，宜以古淡的语调读「田父有好怀」的劝仕，以坚定的语调读「吾驾不可回」的坚守，结句要读得古淡而有余韵，方能传达出陶渊明的笃定不移。陶渊明古诗以「平淡自然」著称，此诗正是其咏志古诗的典范。

Line by line

纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷

To slacken the rein is indeed learnable, but to go against myself — how could that not be a delusion?

纡辔诚可学，违己讵非迷。

To turn the reins is indeed learnable; but to violate one's own heart, is that not to lose the way?

此二句是全诗写坚守的核心，以纡辔诚可学写纡辔，以违己讵非迷写违己，写尽陶渊明的坚守，是千古名句。「纡辔诚可学」写纡辔诚可学——那「纡辔」写纡辔，「诚可学」写诚可学，写尽回车的学习；「违己讵非迷」写违己讵非迷——那「违己」写违己，「讵非迷」写讵非迷，写尽违己的迷误。这句的深意在于：它以「纡辔诚可学」的纡辔与「违己讵非迷」的违己，写尽陶渊明的坚守——纡辔诚可学，那「纡辔诚可学」写尽回车的学习——纡辔改道，诚然可学，正是对出仕的掂量，那「诚可学」写尽陶渊明的明辨；违己讵非迷，那「违己讵非迷」写尽违己的迷误——违背己志，岂非迷失，正是对出仕的拒绝，那「讵非迷」写尽陶渊明的坚守；那「纡辔诚可学」写尽回车的学习，那「违己讵非迷」写尽违己的迷误，一写可学，一写迷误，写尽陶渊明的坚守——纡辔虽可学而违己实迷，正是守志的写照；此二句以纡辔、违己写尽陶渊明的坚守，也让此二句成为全诗写坚守的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「我不想去做官」，则失其思辨；唯以「纡辔诚可学」写纡辔、「违己讵非迷」写违己，写尽陶渊明的坚守，也让此二句成为全诗写坚守的核心。

These lines are the resolve heart of the poem, turning the reins and violating the self. 'To turn the reins is indeed learnable' weighs the possibility of taking office—one could, in fact, steer back toward the world. 'But to violate one's own heart, is that not to lose the way?' answers with a rhetorical question: to bend one's will to office is to go astray. The weighing and the refusal are Tao Yuanming's settled logic—though returning is possible, it is self-betrayal. If stated as 'I don't want to take office,' the reasoning would vanish; only through 'indeed learnable' and 'is that not to lose the way' does the resolve become reasoned.

一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥

All the world prizes agreement; sir, I pray you, wallow in the mud with them.

一世皆尚同，愿君汩其泥。

The whole age favors conformity; may you, too, muddy yourself in the mire.

此二句是全诗写劝仕的核心，以一世皆尚同写尚同，以愿君汩其泥写劝仕，写尽田父的劝仕，是千古名句。「一世皆尚同」写一世皆尚同——那「一世」写一世，「皆尚同」写皆尚同，写尽世间的同俗；「愿君汩其泥」写愿君汩其泥——那「愿君」写愿君，「汩其泥」写汩其泥，写尽田父的劝言。这句的深意在于：它以「一世皆尚同」的尚同与「愿君汩其泥」的劝仕，写尽田父的劝仕——一世皆尚同，那「一世皆尚同」写尽世间的同俗——一世皆尚同俗，正是世风的写照，那「尚同」写尽世间的同流；愿君汩其泥，那「愿君汩其泥」写尽田父的劝言——愿你同流合污，正是田父的劝仕，那「汩其泥」写尽田父的好意；那「一世皆尚同」写尽世间的同俗，那「愿君汩其泥」写尽田父的劝言，一写世风，一写劝仕，写尽田父的劝仕——世皆尚同而劝君汩泥，正是田父劝仕的写照；此二句以尚同、劝仕写尽田父的劝仕，也为后文的坚守作反衬，也让此二句成为全诗写劝仕的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「大家都这样，你也随大流吧」，则失其古雅；唯以「一世皆尚同」写尚同、「愿君汩其泥」写劝仕，写尽田父的劝仕，也让此二句成为全诗写劝仕的核心。

These lines are the persuasion heart of the poem, the whole age favoring conformity and the farmer's urging to join the mire. 'The whole age favors conformity' describes the worldly fashion of swimming with the current; 'may you muddy yourself in the mire' adapts the Fisherman's 'drudge in the mire,' the farmer's friendly advice to compromise. The farmer's words set up the contrast with the poet's refusal—the kindly suggestion against which Tao's resolve stands. If stated as 'everyone conforms, why don't you,' the archaic grace would fade; only through 'favors conformity' and 'muddy yourself' does the persuasion become classical.

Study

Word focus

泥 Mud. In 'wallow in the mud' the mud of the worldly stream: it is what the farmer asks the poet to enter, and it is by contrast with it that the poet's refusal is defined — the mud is not filth in itself but the price of agreeing, and the poem's whole argument turns on what one is willing to be stained by. 「愿君汩其泥」之「泥」字是写劝仕的关键词，一个「泥」字写尽同流合污的劝言。泥者，浊泥、浊世也。陶渊明以「愿君汩其泥」写劝仕，这个「泥」字至少有双重意味：其一，写浊世之泥——那「愿君汩其泥」写愿君汩其泥，那「泥」字写尽浊世的泥浊——汩其泥，正是同流合污的写照，那「泥」字写尽田父的劝仕；其二，写守志之坚——那「泥」字更是写坚——泥，正见陶渊明之拒泥，那「泥」字写尽归隐的坚守。以「泥」字写劝仕，正是陶渊明写坚持的枢纽——若换作「波」「流」等字，则或失其与「愿君」「汩其」的配合，或失其写泥的意味；唯「泥」字，以愿君汩其泥写尽浊世的泥浊与同流的劝言，与「一世皆尚同」的尚同相合，写尽田父的劝仕，也让「愿君汩其泥」成为全诗写劝仕的名句。

回 To turn back. 'My carriage will not turn back' makes the decision final: the carriage is the direction of a life already chosen, and the verb refuses the return that the farmer's advice implies. The refusal is not argued but simply stated, and that is what gives the line its weight. 「吾驾不可回」之「回」字是写坚持的关键词，一个「回」字写尽归驾的不可回。回者，回转、回头也。陶渊明以「吾驾不可回」写坚持，这个「回」字至少有双重意味：其一，写驾之不可回——那「吾驾不可回」写吾驾不可回，那「回」字写尽归驾的不可回——吾驾不可回，正是归隐不移的写照，那「回」字写尽归隐的坚持；其二，写志之不可移——那「回」字更是写志——不可回，正见志向的坚定，那「回」字写尽陶渊明的坚守。以「回」字写坚持，正是陶渊明写归隐的枢纽——若换作「转」「返」等字，则或失其与「吾驾」「不可」的配合，或失其写回的意味；唯「回」字，以吾驾不可回写尽归驾的不可回与志向的坚定，与「纡辔诚可学」的纡辔相合，写尽归隐的坚持，也让「吾驾不可回」成为全诗写坚持的名句。